More and more teenagers are asking to go to counseling! It makes a huge difference when a teen is ready to go to counseling. It can be a challenge to make a teen do something they don’t want to- let alone go talk to a stranger about their feelings!
So when a teen is asking to go see a counselor, it may be a good idea to listen. Teenagers have to face a huge amount of stress these days. Managing self-esteem, healthy friends, to online drama or even bullying. It’s overwhelming. So by having a neutral place to come process through their day, you can find that teens are less likely to act out.
The biggest topic of conversation seems to be boundary setting. Teens are notoriously either pushing boundaries or dealing with struggling to set boundaries with peers that are pushing boundaries. (Did your head spin around?) It’s one of the first times in their lives that they get to make decisions for themselves. It can be difficult to say they are uncomfortable with doing something if everyone in their peer group is doing it. If we can learn to set boundaries early in life, imagine the strength and confidence that will follow.
Of course, depression and anxiety are a major issues for this age. While it may be easy to see a teenager as “being dramatic”, if your teen is dealing with self-harm or depression it’s important to reach out to a therapist as soon as possible. These are serious concerns and need to be helped out by a professional.
Think back to when you were a teenager. Wouldn’t have been nice to talk to someone neutral and unbiased?